I learnt only the other day that the celebrated 'Thom the World Poet', of
Austin, Texas, he of the flowing robes and beard, was originally Tom, a
Street Poet, of Melbourne, Aus. Beggary and poetry go close together, which
is why the language of middle falls flat. I knew a guy once, a real Poor
Tom, who only spoke in verses, doggerel rhymes, of how ill the world
treated him.
On 3 July 2013 07:14, Bill Wootton <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> Let me get this right, Max. You paid a Korean beggar with a credit card?
> Or you signed a petition deploring leglessness perhaps? Know what you mean
> about the muttering anyway; easier to resist in Eurospeak. I like 'towering
> bustling crowd'.
>
> Bill
>
>
> On 03/07/2013, at 10:04 AM, Max Richards wrote:
>
> > Beggars
> >
> > Outside a Seoul department store,
> > the Buddhist priest smiles in our eyes,
> > proffers an amulet and blessings,
> > extracts coins and a signature.
> > Our coins are not enough. Too bad.
> >
> > Legless, the Korean beggar,
> > torso dressed in inner-tube rubber,
> > propels himself by hand
> > through the street crowd
> > behind a box on wheels.
> >
> > Music resounds from his box,
> > cheery, counter to his spectacle.
> > The towering bustling crowd
> > responds mostly with ignore,
> > a little with charity.
> >
> > Yesterday's beggar was the same
> > but without music. Would he
> > have done better or worse?
> > Tomorrow's beggar? -
> > but we will be flying home.
> >
> > Melbourne's beggar is tall,
> > his winter coat dark as his beard,
> > cap thrust forward, muttering,
> > convincingly derelict.
> > As we select which cafe door
> > to enter, he is easy to ignore.
> >
>
--
David Joseph Bircumshaw
**
Website and A Chide's Alphabet
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